About Us
Executive Director and Founder
As a Pediatric Physical Therapist, Jessica has experienced firsthand the wonders of working with children in the water. Jessica grew her private practice, Stepping Stones Physical Therapy over 6 years. She developed a clinical specialty in aquatics, through earning an Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy Clinical Competency Certificate and treating clients for hundreds of hours in an aquatic setting. She established and volunteered as head coach for a Special Olympics swim team, specifically developed for young children. Jessica has experience working for and volunteering with several non-profit organizations over her career. She is passionate about giving back to the special needs community, creating aquatic opportunities for all children that are safe, effective and affordable. She hopes that SNAP with Stepping Stones develops into a supportive community where children, parents, staff and volunteers can enjoy aquatic-based programs cooperatively.
Lead Therapist
Danielle began her aquatic career as a certified lifeguard and swim instructor at the Simi Valley YMCA. In college she worked as a therapeutic exercise instructor both on land and in the water at CSUN's Center of Achievement, a completely wheelchair accessible facility with an adaptive gym and pool to accommodate clients with various disabilities. She then pursued and completed a doctorate degree in physical therapy at California State University Northridge and taught private swim lessons during the summers while in this program. She currently has over 12 years of experience teaching swim skills to clients from 6 months to adulthood. Now as a licensed PT she uses her skills and knowledge in and out of the water to provide quality care to kids and adults to help them reach their functional goals. It is her joy to be able to work with a variety of patients and colleagues in the aquatic environment that SNAP provides.
Lead Swim Instructor
Maya is a seasoned swimming instructor and lifeguard, with 9 years of experience. She was greatly influenced to work with the special needs community, after working with a disabled swimmer. Maya started providing respite for children with ASD. Approximately two years ago, she started working as a behavioral therapist. Maya was inspired by a presentation about SNAP for the YMCA staff to apply for a position at SNAP. "I knew it would be a great fit for me." To be able to combine both my love of teaching and my love of working with special needs children, it felt like home to me. Maya is currently pursuing a master's degree in Occupational Therapy, where she is hoping to implement water-based activities in OT.
Program Director, Occupational Therapist
Cara is an experienced and caring pediatric occupational therapist. She completed her Masters at San Jose State and has worked in school, early intervention, and clinic settings. She was drawn to SNAP program because being in a pool and learning to enjoy water play can have impactful sensory benefits and allow kids to experience some freedom and relief from overactive nervous systems. Water can provide deep muscle input and calming for sensory avoidant or very active sensory seekers. Cara enjoys exploring new areas, yoga, and pop culture, especially K- culture.
Aquatics Program Administrator, Speech and Language Pathologist
Keren is a speech-language pathologist with a Master of Science from California State University. She loves many parts of her field, especially working with kids to support their language, and social-emotional goals, however she also specializes in the subfield Orofacial Myology, which is a methodology that addresses the dysfunction of the mouth in regard to breathing, eating, swallowing, in addition to talking. She runs her own private practice in Northridge, working with kids of all ages. Keren also works at Ride On in Chatsworth, providing unmounted speech therapy services specifically for their early intervention clients. A true water baby, Keren swam before she walked so joining the team was a natural fit. She firmly believes in the significance of aquatic based therapy and how beneficial it is for the community.
Physical Therapist
Celeste graduated from Cal State Northridge with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy and Bachelors in Exercise Science. She began her aquatic experience with an internship during her undergrad for Stepping Stones Physical Therapy and saw the wonderful benefits in children’s function and gross motor skills while utilizing an aquatic setting. She also previously instructed in adaptive aquatic exercise classes for children through the Center of Achievement at CSUN. Today, Celeste continues to be dedicated to providing quality pediatric physical therapy care and increasing quality of life and function in children and families. She is passionate about participating in non-profit organizations and giving back to communities with limited access to health care resources.
Physical Therapist
Barbara is a compassionate and energetic Physical Therapist who earned her degree from New York University along with a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Health Service Management. While attending college, she worked as a lifeguard, pediatric swim instructor and coached a youth Diving Team. Barbara has an extensive clinical background as she has worked at hospitals, outpatient pediatric and orthopedic clinics, an acute rehab center and more recently in the Home Health arena. One of her most enjoyable positions was developing a recreational swim program for special needs children in a small public school district in NJ. Barbara is also a PADI certified Open Water Diver, a certified Personal Trainer, and just recently received a Level 1: Swim Angelfish/ Adaptive Swim Whisperers Certification. As an avid lap swimmer herself, Barbara is thrilled to share her knowledge, experience and love of the water with our special needs community!
Occupational Therapist
Brittany is a passionate, gentle, caring and compassionate occupational therapist with a masters degree in occupational therapy (OT) from Loma Linda University. She has been a pediatric OT for 10 years and has worked in a variety of settings (early intervention, outpatient clinics, school districts, etc.), and enjoys working with and serving children and their families. Brittany has volunteered as a swim coach for the Special Needs Olympics, served on Wheels for the World Outreaches in third world countries with Joni and Friends to adapt wheelchairs, and serving with special abilities ministries. Brittany grew up actively involved in water sports and is excited to merge her passions of water activities, occupational therapy, and serving through SNAP. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially water sports, working out, serving in the community, crafting, baking and cooking, reading, traveling, live music, country events, and especially spending quality time with friends and family. She is excited to work with SNAP to provide children and their families individualized OT services in a unique and play based environment that emphasizes compassion and care in a supportive and fun environment.
Adaptive Swim Instructor
Alyssa is a second-year occupational therapy doctoral student at West Coast University in Los Angeles. She has been involved in aquatics for most of her life, beginning competitive swimming at six years old and continuing through four years as an NCAA Division I swimmer at Fresno State. Throughout her time in the sport, Alyssa gained experience as a lifeguard, swim instructor, and club swim coach. After completing her undergraduate studies, Alyssa discovered a passion for working with children with special needs while serving as a behavioral therapist. She is especially interested in exploring how occupational therapy services can be provided within the unique aquatic environment. Alyssa looks forward to contributing to SNAP.
Adaptive Swim Instructor
Maureen is a retired attorney with a passion for swimming.
She finds true joy in working with children with unique needs and their families which began through volunteering with A Walk on Water, Surf Therapy and as a Special Olympics swimming coach. Aware of a need for safety first, she earned a lifeguard certificate in 2017 through the YMCA , and is currently certified as a swim instructor and in CPR. She celebrates her journey to being a certified Swim Whisperer, youth special needs swim instructor.
Adaptive Swim Instructor
Desirée is a preschool teacher and soon to be Speech Language Pathology Assistant who is passionate about creating a fun, safe, and inclusive environment in the water. After volunteering with the program for four months, she was inspired to join the team and continue making a difference through adaptive swimming instruction. She has a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from CSUN and is finishing a second bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science. With a background as a preschool teacher working with toddlers, she brings patience, creativity, and a strong foundation in child development to her instruction. She values community involvement and loves helping to make swimming lessons accessible to everyone.
Adaptive Swim Instructor
Layla is an experienced adaptive swim instructor and has completed Level 1 Training with Swim Angelfish. She is compassionate to all students equally. Her goal as an instructor is to instill calm spatial awareness, build confidence with movements / breath and water safety understanding. She adapts to each student attentively for every lesson.
Program Support
Rebecca has a B.A. in Literature and Art from George Fox University in Oregon. She is happy to be part of such a meaningful team as the one here at SNAP with Stepping Stones. Her role here at SNAP consists of assisting our Program Director, Cara, with remote program support.
Our Board of Directors
Mona Ligvani - President
Hi! I'm Mona, mama to my boys - Leon and Andre. Watching them grow, laugh, and thrive brings endless joy and gratitude to my life, all of which I’ve been able to experience thanks in part to SNAP. Professionally, I’m a Clinical Pharmacy Manager at a local independent pharmacy, where I love making a difference in our community by advocating for my patients. SNAP has been a lifeline for our family, and is an organization I believe every child would benefit from. My passion for advocacy and my personal journey as a mom to a child with special needs inspire me to wholeheartedly support SNAP's incredible mission. I am excited and grateful to join the Board and look forward to the wonderful year ahead!
Jessica Almaguer - Vice President
Jessica has been dedicated to the field of social work for over a decade, with the past seven years focused on supporting special needs children and families in Ventura County. Her professional journey shifted from advocating for other families to advocating for her own daughter, Aria, who was diagnosed with autism in 2022. While searching for swim lessons tailored to Aria’s needs—ones that would not only accommodate her but also believe in her capabilities—Jessica discovered the SNAP program. Aria began her first SNAP session in April 2024 and has participated in every session since. The program has profoundly impacted Aria and her entire family, bringing meaningful change to their lives.Beyond celebrating and advocating for Aria, Jessica works as a therapist at Camarillo High School, supporting students with IEPs. Her ultimate hope is that, through her work, every child, parent, and family in the special needs community feels seen, supported, and heard. That is what SNAP has and will continue to do and she can't wait to begin this life changing journey.
Nicole Schussel - Secretary
Nicole Schussel has been working with children with developmental delays since 2008, and is currently a supervisor and pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist at UCLA Medical Center. She is passionate about promoting neurodiversity-affirming care in the healthcare and community settings. As a clinician who is also a parent of a child with a disability, she understands the need for access to therapeutic resources in the disability community. She is thrilled to join the SNAP Board of Directors, as she knows it provides a unique and much-needed resource for children with varying abilities. In her free time, Nicole loves to travel and go camping with her husband and her three sons.
Janelle Hill - Treasurer
Hello, I'm Janelle. I am a military spouse and mother of two: Kimberly and Kaleb. I work professionally as a finance analyst and accountant in the interior design industry. Our family loves sports, exercise, traveling, and cooking/eating new foods. Being a mother to a child with special needs, finding programs and activities have always been a challenge for our family. SNAP changed that for our family forever. They provided that opportunity for my son to finally grow his love of water and expand his swimming abilities . Each compassionate instructor truly made my child feel welcomed, accepted and special with each weekly session. I have never seen my son so regulated or happy in this journey, he finally found his passion and our family is so grateful so SNAP for that. I am so happy to be a part of a board who truly makes it a goal and mission providing accessibility to families, like mine, to amazing programs/community like this and I can't wait to see how SNAP grows!
Kulzum Zuhair - Special Events
Originally from Sri Lanka, I moved to California when I was 6 years old. My family and I moved to Ventura County when I started middle school and I have been here ever since. I graduated college with my BA in Child Development. My son Sully was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. When he was diagnosed I stepped into action - found all therapies, l tried everything anyone told me was a good idea or helped and most of all I had faith. My son loves the water but couldn’t swim and my biggest fear was him drowning. I searched far and wide but had no luck for 3 years finding a swim school or the special abilities community. When I found SNAP it felt like all my prayers were answered. SNAP is a program I believe should be accessible to all families. I hope in my role, I bring awareness and help SNAP reach pools, homes and schools worldwide.
Erin Martinez - Social Media/Fundraising Chair
As a parent of a child with a disability I am passionate about accessibility in all areas. I have seen the dynamic impact SNAP has had on my family and my goal is to expand SNAP in order for more families to have access to this program. In the special needs/disability parenting community, we are well versed in finding the best therapies and activities for our children. I bring my personal experience as a proud mother, new RN and former college counselor to navigating expansion and inclusion. I could not be more grateful to be involved on this board of directors.
Hope Wactlar - Community Outreach
My family is so grateful to be part of the SNAP team. We moved from New York almost seven years ago and our son received an autism diagnosis soon after. So, I truly appreciate the value and commitment it takes to build your own community from the ground up. I am an attorney and licensed in New York. I stopped working after we received our son's diagnosis, and now I'm a fulltime mom. Our son loves the water, but we struggled to find swim lessons that addressed his sensory processing needs. The SNAP program offers relief and hope that our son is learning to swim independently and be safe in the water. I've met other wonderful and hopeful parents at SNAP and look forward to building and connecting this community, and bringing SNAP to other locations in the LA area.
Natalie Waechter, OT
Natalie is a playful pediatric occupational therapist with a master's in occupational therapy from Springfield College in Massachusetts. Her love for helping children and aquatics started at an early age. Natalie was a collegiate swimmer at Springfield College and an ocean lifeguard in Ventura, CA for 10 years. She has been teaching swim lessons to children for years and is excited to merge her two loves of aquatics and occupational therapy. Outside of being an occupational therapist, she enjoys camping, triathlons, and hanging out with family and friends. She is excited to work with SNAP to provide children and their families occupational therapy in a fun and playful aquatic environment.